


Three Actions

by AllesandraQ



Category: Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Friendship, Gen, M/M, character death referenced
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-26
Updated: 2017-08-26
Packaged: 2018-12-20 00:03:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11909028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AllesandraQ/pseuds/AllesandraQ
Summary: From the subreddit writing prompt thread:Write about three actions done- one out of good intentions, one done out of spite, one done that's a necessary evil and the consequence, good or bad, that forms from each one.





	Three Actions

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is about my other warden- Kaden Cousland.

**The Good  
**  
**9:37- Denerim**  
  


 

  
Kaden watches from his spot, nicely hidden in the castle, as the soon to be Queen of Fereldan greets the young elven girl in front of her. Alistair is standing there, smiling as he helps makes the introduction.  
  
He doesn't make his appearance, as he knows Vienna, the woman who will be marrying Alistair and becoming queen, tends to be uneasy around him. He's used to having people feel like that around him. Zevran and Alistair are the only two people who don't care.   
  
He watches the greeting and then slips away. He heads through Denerim, making way to the alienage. He keeps his hood up, ignoring the curious glances and heads  to a specific home. It is one he's made a stop at many times over since the end of the Blight. Kaden knocks, and it is soon answered by another elven woman, with graying hair and weary blue eyes.  
  
"Erathine," he greets.  
  
"Warden Cousland," the older elf greets warily, but with familiarity. "How did it go?"

"The education she received helped. The soon to be Queen has agreed to have young Amethyne as her lady in waiting. Amethyne will continue to have every opportunity laid at her feet for this."  
  
She sighs, clearly relieved. "I suppose you no longer see the need to--"

He holds out a pouch filled with coin. "She is still your responsibility until the King offically marries his chosen Queen. Her tutor bill is paid up, as is the other bills you accrued in my absence. I apologize for the lateness, this should make up for the lack of coin in the past couple months. Plus you now have a job with the tailor I spoke up. Show up tomorrow in mid day."  
  
She takes the coin pouch, looks at it, then shakes her head. "You have done so much for my niece and I over the years. Warden Cousland."

"I did it for her," he corrects bluntly. "A daughter of Iona deserves no less."  He nods to the woman and walks away, shutting the door as he does. Kaden only knew Iona for a short, sweet time, but he remembered how she talked about her daughter. As he walks down the cobbled path, he gets run into. He doesn't stumble, but she does, and he grasps her by the arm to hold her upright.   
  
"Oh, I am sorry," a familiar voice says, in a tone that was clearly taught. He smiles, a rarity he knows, to the elven girl, Amethyne who has now apparently been able to come tell her Aunt the news. "I was in a hurry, sir, I did not--"

He holds up a hand. "It is fine, Amethyne."

She blinks. "You know my name?"

"I knew your mother," he says softly.

The happiness slips a little, her smile dies and Kaden sympathizes.  "She died.. in Highever."

"I know."  
  
A pause and then her eyes widen. "Warden Cousland?"

"Your mother would be proud of you," he says softly. "You have risen in a position in life she would want you to have. She always wanted the best for you. Just keep that thought in mind as you go through life."  
  
Amethyne visibly swallows. "I will." 

 

  
**An Action Done Out Of Spite**  
**9:31 Vigils Keep**  
  


"I don't know what happened with the Couslands, it sounds like it was horrible."

Kaden stares at the man in front of him, behind the cell door in disbelief. Whatever tenuous hold he had on his temper was now long gone and he vaguely heard something from Oghren about causing your own death.  
  
"Sounds like it was horrible?" He snarls out. "Sounds? Oh trust me, it was more than just horrible you piece of shit. I found my nephew's body, splayed out like it was nothing, a boy that was barely ten! Murdered by your father's men, on his orders!"

Howe flinches.  
  
"Next to him was his murdered mother, and then every other person I found was dead or dying. I ran through the streets fighting your father's men to get to my parents. My home was in fire and ash and broken pieces, my family and friends and staff being killed callously and coldly by your father's orders. My father bleeding out on the floor, my mother sacrificing her life to give me time to leave and I had to be dragged away. It was beyond horrible, you ungrateful shit."  
  
Nathaniel Howe seems to be shocked by those words. Good.  
  
He wants to vent and yell at the man some more, but by that time the Senechal has come in and asked him what he wants done with Howe.  
Ohhh, he has an idea.  
  
"Conscript him," Kaden spits out, the words filled with anger and spite, to the Senechal. His eyes do not waver from the man itself. Nathaniel Howe. The conversation between him and the man had devolved into anger within moments of meeting him in the cell. Oghren, the cantankerous dwarf had actually stepped inbetween them just in case.  
  
"I'd rather hang!" Nathaniel protests.  
  
"Your crime is against the Grey Wardens," he continues, "therefore think of this as a punishment." He smiles. "And you may get your wish, at least in regards to dying," he adds as the Senechal motions for the guard to take him. "Only I hope you choke to death."  
  
Nathaniel snarls something out to him, but Kaden pays it no mind. He's already angry and he has a feeling he's going to be staying angry during his time here.   
  
His time in Vigils Keep is already off to a great start.

 

  
  
**(Inside Vigils Keep** )  


 

He takes the chalice after Nathaniel Howe drinks the potion, and then watches as the man's body drops to the floor.  
  
The Senechal bends down, obviously checking to see if the man is dead (as Kaden so hopes, so the man can join his bastard of a father), or alive.  
  
The Senechal straightens and then faces him.  
  
"He lives, my lord."

Well.. shit.  
  
Kaden glares at the unconscious body of Nathaniel Howe. Just his luck. Now he has to deal with a warden he already hates and who hates him.   


 

 **An Action of Necessary Evil**  
**9:35- Gwaren**  
  


Kaden stares at the door of the estate that will lead him inside, and to her. Three bodies were laid out, down on the ground behind him. They never saw him coming and he chose to knock them out, instead of killing them.  
  
He already has plenty of blood on his hands. His actions were needed to protect Alistair's position on the throne, but there was no need to kill those who are merely doing their job as sentry.  
  
The conspirators met their ends, revealing who was behind it all.  
  
And now he was here, to finally take care of a problem that should have been taken care of after the Blight was ended. Alistair survived, and out of a misguided sense of some sort of niceness, the king had given the lands that her father ruled to the woman that once held the throne.  
  
Now that Alistair's mercy has backfired on him, it is up to Kaden to do the necessary evil, to make sure his brother and best friend's rule no longer has this thorn in the side. Eamon, the manipulative schemer, one called Kaden the weapon and shield of Alistair's rule, and here he is now, fulfilling that role.  
He opens the gate and heads into the courtyard.  
  
Time to take care of the former Queen.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
**5 Days Later- A room in an inn in Denerim**  
  
  
  
  
  
Kaden hisses as Zevran unwraps the bandage that had covered the wound he had gained from his fight with Anora.  
  
She had gotten in some good hits. She was a challenge to fight. She was tough, she was taught well and she fought hard, as hard as she could. The courtyard and the estate inside had been gravely damaged by their one on one battle. She fought with everything she had, and if Kaden had been anyone else, hell if he had been the man he was years ago, she would have been victorious.  
  
But in the end, she was not. He walked away alive, if not a little damaged. The wound in his side was evident of that.  
  
"King Alistair thinks I did it," Zevran adds as he rubs a cream on the wound, which was healing at it's own pace and Kaden wishes it would hurry up. Well.. maybe not if it keeps Zevran's hands on him. This is one side effect of the battle he doesn't mind.   
  
"He confronted you?" Kaden asks concerned.  
  
"Not directly. He was looking for you earlier, and commented in his way. I am simply letting him assume. It is better."

  
Kaden frowns. "But--"

Zevran's stops his ministrations and leans forward to kiss Kaden. It's brief, but tingles, like it always does. "It is better, mi amor," he says firmly.

  
Kaden doesn't try to protest again, he simply cups one of Zevran's cheeks and pulls his lover in for another kiss.  


  
**3 Days Later- Palace Library**  
  
  
  


"Did he do it?"

If he was the startling sort, Kaden would have jumped at the voice of Alistair. But he wasn't the sort to be startled, at least by Alistair. He heard his brother coming, his footsteps heavy.  
  
"Did who do what?" He asks, putting the book back on the shelf to face his best friend.  
  
Alistair glares at him, and Kaden resists smirking. "Kaden. Anora is dead, and you both were there when the conspirators mentioned her name."

Kaden isn't sure if he should be glad or dismayed that Alistair doesn't even seem to think he did it. He hates keeping things from the man, but this is one thing he knows he must keep for Alistair would never approve. No matter how much he seems to have hardened, Alistair seems to have a soft spot when it comes to the former Queen.  
  
"Alistair."

"I asked him and he just did that smirk of his before walking away. It's so.. it's so... frustrating. It's frustrating."  
  
"Alistair."

"I know, I know. I shouldn't know. This is one of those things I shouldn't know. Its just--"

"Alistair." Kaden walks up to him, places a hand on his shoulder. "Does it matter if he did it or not? Is this really so important for you to know who killed Anora?"  
  
Alistair frowns. "He made comments about how kings always need an assassin when we were traveling and offered his services..."

"We all said plenty of things to each other while we were traveling." Kaden hates this. He hates doing this, but killing Anora was a necessary evil that he would gladly bear on his soul. "Her death had impact- other conspirators came forward out of fear, a danger to your position has been rooted out and taken care of. Stop questioning it and just concentrate on other matters."  
  
Alistair takes a deep breath, exhales, and then nods. "All right. Are you almost done here? I'm thinking of going to the kitchens. I smelled cookies on my way here."

  
Kaden smiles. "I'm always up for a fresh cookie."

 

 

  
  
**Palace Kitchen**

  
  
  
If there was one thing Alistair came to enjoy about being king was the cookies.  
  
Not just any cookies.  
  
The cook had this recipe for a chocolate cookie that was better than anything else. Alistair felt like a kid for a few minutes, free from responsibilities as Kaden and he sat at the small wooden table and indulged.  
  
Kaden was sitting rather stiffly in his chair, reminding Alistair of some of the bruises he had seen on his best friend and brother earlier. He had also seem to favor his right side from time to time, as if he'd been stabbed.  
  
Which of course was entirely possible. And of course it was possible the person who stabbed him was dead.  
  
Alistair paused in his eating of his latest cookie, his thoughts going down a dangerous road.

Anora.  
  
The elven assassin that Kaden is in love with, never confirmed or denied his suspicions, but Alistair honestly never expected him to.  
  
Although.. could Kaden had done it? Alistair knew that some of the conspirators who confessed behind the plot to usurp him had died at Kaden's hands. A necessary evil, Eamon quoted to him in his grave tone. Alistair accepted that. Kaden had a darkness to him but it wasn't cruel or evil, just a product of what happened to him. Alistair knew Kaden was over protective of him---  
  
So overprotective he killed Anora?

Alistair's mind instantly blanched at the thought and he mentally shook away the thought. No, he would not go there. Kaden knew how he felt about Anora, knew that showing mercy was the right thing to do. Anora admitted she would have not shown Alistair mercy which is why as much as Alistair knows a harder tactic should have been taken, he did not want Anora's death on his conscience.  
  
Yet she is now dead.  
  
_Kaden wouldn't do it,_ he mentally whispers to himself. He most likely got hurt hunting down the other conspirators while Zevran was taking care of Anora. Eamon most likely put Zevran on the task.  
  
Kings have to be ignorant of some things done to protect them, Eamon once told him.  
  
Alistair sighed. Zevran killed Anora, while Kaden was dealing with the others. But he can't have that confirmed for his own sake. He would just have to be  
happy with his own conclusion.  
  
"Something wrong with the cookie?" Kaden asks as he eyes the last cookie on the plate. "If there is, I'll gladly take it off your hands."

"Like hell you will, last cookie belongs to the King!" Alistair declares, reaching out instantly to grab the cookie. Kaden gets it at the same time though and they stare at each other.

"Half a cookie then?"

Kaden glares, his blue grey eyes though weren't their usual scary steel like, so Alistair just grins and then does something that is not fit for a king. He sticks his tongue out.  
  
Kaden bursts out laughing letting his half of the cookie go and Alistair gets his prize. He smiles at his broody friend's laugh, knowing it's not something anyone gets to see.  
  
No, Kaden wouldn't have killed Anora. He was wrong to think that.


End file.
